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Why Dolphins can't beat the elite

It’s pretty simple to figure out why the Dolphins are not ready to compete with the elite.

You can blame it on the lack of dedication to the running game in the second half against the Saints.

You can point the finger at Gibril Wilson, Ted Ginn, Anthony Fasano or even Special teams coach John Bonamego.

There’s no doubt all of these individuals have contributed to Miami’s defeats, but the bigger issue is time. The front office just hasn’t had enough trips through free agency and the draft to correct all of their problems.

So far through 2 seasons, Bill Parcells and company have been able to:

-Put together an excellent offensive line.

-Draft a quarterback with a lot of potential in Chad Henne.

-Picked up a couple of exciting corners (Vontae Davis & Sean Smith) and two young defensive linemen in Kendall Langford and Philip Merling in the draft.

They’ve had success with likes of Randy Starks, Jake Grove, Justin Smiley & Lousaka Polite and failures in free agency like Ernest Wilford, Eric Green & Gabril Wilson. In a season and a half the team is better and there’s no way every transaction a team makes works out, but overall Miami has hit more than it’s missed, which is a major change when you compare it to the days of Dave Wannstedt, Nick Saban & Cam Cameron.

In the first six games Miami is 2-4, with losses to the Falcons, Chargers, Colts & Saints.

Now I don’t want to make it seem like Miami has no talent, I believe Devone Bess in the right situation can be very good. Example put Devone Bess in the Steve Breaston role in Arizona sandwiched between Anquan Boldin & Larry Fitzgerald and he would be a monster, slide him into the slot between Tony Gonzalez & Roddy White how do you think he’ll perform?

Devone Bess is a sweet player that knows how to find holes in the defense and has terrific hands. I think Devone Bess, Brian Hartline & Greg Camarillo are excellent complimentary players. They just need a No. 1 WR & Elite talent at the tight end spot to open up the field for everyone including Chad Henne, Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams.

I know Miami still has a lot of needs to complete this roster if they ever want to make a run at a title. But if they want to be the best, they have three priorities, No.1 WR, Elite TE talent and a TRUE free safety. Miami needs a player who has the range and the instincts to play that position, this will give them a chance against the likes of Tony Gonzalez, Dallas Clark & Antonio Gates. A player that will provide the balance this secondary needs to make Yeremiah Bell a better player, by giving him the security of knowing that the guy playing center field actually knows what he’s doing.

At the cornerback spot, once Sean Smith & Vontae Davis get the experience they need, skies the limit for this secondary.

If the Miami Dolphins are going to beat and not just compete with the elite like the Falcons and the Saints, they must solve those issues over the next couple of seasons. If they don’t, Dolfans will start to question Bill Parcells like did with Jimmy Johnson who came in with all the hype but left with a whimper.

Offensive line is GREAT. Some issues with pass protections earlier in year, but this line had 2 new starters getting on same page. Pass blocking has improved and run-blocking is AWESOME. Only thing I would say about O-line is to continue developing depth.

D-Line is good against the run. But we still could use more consistent pass rush from line and LB's. Need to groom another NT to pair with Solai for after Ferguson retires, but I like our DE depth with Merling, Langford, Starks, and McDaniel.

At LB we need an ILB who is more of a playmaker in offensive backfield to replace Ayodele and pair with Crowder. But pair is solid for now. Not sure how good Wake is yet, but even then could use another youngster to groom with aging JT and JP.

But TOP priorities are just like O said. playmakers at WR, TE and FS. Add in those with rest of current cast and this team is elite.

Bess and Camarillo are both great possession receivers. Camarillo is a constant source of surprises and has a knack for big plays. Offensively, the problems are Ted Ginn and Tony Fasano. Ginn is a total waste and I am really tired of management giving him extra chances simply because they invested money in a first-round pick. You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, and we need to get rid of Ginn while there is still a team that might be dumb enough to trade for him.
Fasano's play has dropped off precipitously from last year.
As for the "D", nobody needs me to remind them of our pass defense leaving guys like Shockey uncovered and then not making tackles. Is it now against the rules to have somebody in the middle to guard against tight ends getting open in the secondary?

One final gripe: miami's coaches had a great game plan in the first half against N.O., but it seems to me that somebody panicked when the score became 24-17 and we abandoned our game plan and started a panic-passing attack.

That's BS. We were ahead 3 TD vs. the Saints, lost our starting QB in the Bolts game, Totally collapsed on D against Indy (which I think is a direct result of the D NOT having to be on the field much), and the Falcons game, well who knows. First game and not sure of identity yet. We can beat elite. The coaching staff is too schizophrenic and too worried about mixing it up so much that there's no groove.

the dolphins need a couple of decent wr, but they should never burn a #1 to get 1....look not only at recent history for them in that regard, but look at the entire league with respect to burning a #1 on a wr....it seldom pans out...the risk is too high....plus, the dolphins need help everywhere on defense....they need to put more pressure on the qb....and their secondary gives up big plays non-stop....

Armando, nicely put. I agree with you 100%...in fact here's what I wrote Ask Mike yesterday:
*****
Mike, I know us Dolphin fans are frustrated and angry, but I think our anger is misdirected. To blame Ted Ginn and Gibril Wilson for our current woes is unfair and overly simplified. Let me read off this list of names and ask you what they have in common; Jimmy Johnson, Dave Wannstedt, Rick Spielman, Randy Mueller, Nick Saban, and Cam Cameron. They were all hired by Wayne Huizinga and that’s where the blame belongs. Wayne and his band of incompetent football minds put this organization years behind their competition and it’s going to take more than two drafts to pull us out of this nose dive. Just look at our 2005, 2006 and 2007 drafts…the very drafts that should be producing solid players for us today. One above average player among 22 picks. So I’m going to give it some time and enjoy watching some young guys develop…we’re still a year or two out. Your thoughts?
*****
From one '85 Tbred to another...thanks for the insightful article each week.

With all due respect as I like the article I think you are on the wrong side of the ball as as why Dolphins can't be elite.

First of all the defense lacks a cover Safety. The Dolphins' FS, Gibril Wilson, can't cover or tackle consistently.

They also have old and/or one dimensional LBs as none of them do several things well like defend the rush, pass rush and cover. Each LB has one or two significant weaknesses. Age has clearly caught up to Porter and Taylor as neither can "bring the heat!" every game or even for an entire game. Neither no longer demands a double team.

Lastly there is a tremendous drop off in run defense when Jason Ferguson is not in the game. The Dolphins' do not have a solid back-up at NT to adequately spell JF.

Orlando you made some good points but I think you were a little harsh as well. Your description of the talent that the Dolphins need is correct and identical to what I had posted earlier this week. There is still a lot of football to be played this season and remember that we are two years into a 3-4 year rebuilding plan. With the exception of Wilford, Green and Wilson the Dolphins management is positioning this franchise to be something special.

The Dolphins WERE beating the Saints through 31/2 quarters. Dropped passes, stupid penalties, and not adjusting to the Saints adjustments to our running attack were the reason they failed to finish. I will repeat; Theywere beating them thourgh 3 1/2 quarters. They fell apart just like they did against NE last year, when they were keeping up with the Patriots until the end,and then they fell apart mentally. The Dolphins HAD a chance to win that game Sunday with 3 and a half minutes left.Then the wheels came off. That's why they can't beat ELITE teams.Rmemeber agianst the jets, they were actaully in a tougher battle, but they remained calm a won on a last 2:30 drive! What made this game different? Did they Saints do somehting different then the jets? NO. The Dolphins dropped the ball...litereally.
This team can beat those elite teams you talk about, they just have to believe they can.
It is that simple.
You can't blame it all on T. Ginn.
Everyone dropped the ball last Sunday.
And now, even the fans are dropping the ball.
Let's have some respect.

I understand that everybody wants to win now, but lets take a look at how Parcells builds teams. Let's face it we got lucky last year with the perfect storm of schedule, Tom Brady going down, minimal or no injuries, minimal turnovers. This year we got the toughest schedule, Tom Brady is back, we got injuries with Pennington(Blessing in disguise), Porter, Will Allen, and mysteriously injured Roth. I do believe we have a better team than last year. Now to the players. Ginn should be done now. He is not a bit threat to defenses, they never double team him, he doesn't have the stats to show he should be out on the field. Sparano is a stats man he should use his own advice. Fasano is a keeper. I know most people would disagree with this but we are a run first team for now and he is a solid blocker and a decent WR, which what we need in a run first team. Wilson is a waste of a pick up. What part of the lowly Raiders didn't want him did the Dolphins office not understand? He needs to produce or we should drop him. I really think they were trying to do some patch work and not fixing the problem with Wilson. All the Dolphin fans need to chill. So what if we have a losing season, we should be used to it. Think about the future. Henne is a pretty good QB and given time and WRs he could be outstanding. Two more good drafts and the Dolphins will have a solid young team garunteed. Looking at the Patriots and Colts, there time will be near over because lets face it Manning and Brady are not getting any younger. We will be an elite team in a few years when other teams will be on the decline. Have faith in the Dolphins front office, they need to be given a chance to form a team that will be good for years to come after the past 8 years of horrible drafts.

And if they had won that game , would anyone be talking about the missed tackles or bad coaching decsions? NO, we would be singingthe praises of this team. They stunned the Saints for one half, and continued to beat them for another quarter and a half. One drive, that's all it would have taken, just as in the Jets game.
You all are alot of "this glass is half full" people.
Footeball is a game of inches and seconds. We were seconds away from another great drive.

you cant put the blame on Henne he has started in 3 games winning 2 of them the only 2 games we won. its the weapons he has is the reason we lost the saints game Ted Ginn is horrible and fasano is a goon cant say anything bad about bess he is consistant and same with camarillo hartline is still young lets see how he does BUT we have to upgrade our #1 reciever this offseason.

you cant put the blame on Henne he has started in 3 games winning 2 of them the only 2 games we won. its the weapons he has is the reason we lost the saints game Ted Ginn is horrible and fasano is a goon cant say anything bad about bess he is consistant and same with camarillo hartline is still young lets see how he does BUT we have to upgrade our #1 reciever this offseason.

O's comments are all correct. We do need to upgrade all those positions. But we can and should have beaten Indy and NO. Total collapses in both games. And coaching played a large role in those losses...so even with the deficinecies we have that O noted, we can beat the elite....it just hasn't happened this year yet.

While I agree with the assessments of needing a #-1 receiver, tight end and safety, the team is getting better. They had the makings of a good tight end in Fasano, I'm not sure anyone knows what happened to him in one season. Last year he was MR. RELIABLE. They drafted Clemons and Turner along with Smith and Davis. Turner is an over sized Ginn who is great in shorts. Once the hitting starts, he disappears. Clemons is seemingly ready when called upon. I'd start giving him some playing time. Hartline looks promising, just not a burner. When one considers the task this new regime took on, I'd say they're doing a nice job. After least years miracle resurgence, I think we were expecting more of the same. Playing better competition, is making the holes that are left to repair more obvious. The season isn't half over yet though.
Having said that, there are a few noticable coaching issues that weren't mentioned. Halftime adjustments are for both teams to make, not just the opposition. Scoring every time the offense has the ball is the objective. Playing scared will lose games for you. When blitzes are picked up, there is no law against using different packages. Disguising coverages works. Is there a law that says you can't replace a player who isn't performing?

I dunno, I agree with Safety, but I think a couple more LBs as well and maybe another DL to rotate in. I think we need to concentrate on Defense this year. This defense cannot cover the short routes. And we don't get enough of a pass rush.

If they could find a #1 wideout via free agency that would be ok too.

I don't see TE as a priority. Make one of the guys we already have, better.

Should of won two of the games we lost. Young players they should improve. Do not think the Pat White project helps seems to be A NEGATIVE play when they try him. Keep pounding them and any 3rd and short they should hand to polite he always makes it. Starting to really not like Ginn how many times does he screw up costing us big time. We will be fine just beat the stinkin jets please. Run it down their throats they sure are going to try. Blitz the crybaby corners do your job we can do it and make a push.

Don't let the trifecta off so easy. They screwed up big time by letting go of Andre Goodman and Renaldo Hill. Look at Denver's secondary...comapred to ours. No comparison. Now imagine if we'd drafted either Sean Smith or Vontae Davis....WOW.

I don't see Parcells EVER leaving Miami with a whimper. He has 'hit' WAY more than he has missed. I can't see anybody arguing with ANYTHING these guys have done. It hasn't yet translated into the success we would all like to see on the field BUT... let's keep an even keel with these guys and have faith and trust in them. They aren't exactly lumps. There ARE things that need to be improved on. And let's not forget that Ricky has promised us next year will be his last so on top of everything else we need to bring in another RB next year or at least have it on our mind. You also left out the MLB position or the entire LB position for that matter. Crowder and whimper can be used in the same sentence ANYTIME. I don't see a whole lot of bite in that guy... just mostly bark. Porter is fast reaching retirement age and Taylor (god bless him) is right there. He had a helluva game Sunday but those days are few and far between. So what position do you fill with your first pick next year, which looks like it will be fairly high, maybe even top 10? The trifecta likes Gresham a lot. Therefore, so do I. I also like Spiller (Clemson RB) as he would fill a special teams need also... BIG time. One or SOME of these positions are going to HAVE to be addressed via free agency. Bottom line though is that this season is not yet over and I'd still like to see and expect to see a run for the playoffs. Why not us?

The offensive line, to me, seems pedestrian outside of the wildcat formation. They certainly don't seem excellent especially when the center gets false start penalties called against him. Does anyone know what the yard per carry in the wildcat vs. other formations is?

The offensive line, to me, seems pedestrian outside of the wildcat formation. They certainly don't seem excellent especially when the center gets false start penalties called against him. Does anyone know what the yard per carry in the wildcat vs. other formations is?

I hope the Finds have the footballs to pick up Jermain Gresham in the 2nd. (If still available, although injury has pushed him down) What a value for a beast of a TE. Of course the Patsies have about a dozen 2nd round picks and Beli loves picking TEs early so they probably walk away with him.

We are not lacking in offense as much as giving up points, come on this is not rocket science. Sure the long game is suffering via the pass, however we run the ball very well. Let's figure out a way to stop the other team from scoring, especially in the fourth quarter.

We are not lacking in offense as much as giving up points, come on this is not rocket science. Sure the long game is suffering via the pass, however we run the ball very well. Let's figure out a way to stop the other team from scoring, especially in the fourth quarter.

We are not lacking in offense as much as giving up points, come on this is not rocket science. Sure the long game is suffering via the pass, however we run the ball very well. Let's figure out a way to stop the other team from scoring, especially in the fourth quarter.

If only we had the luxury of Parcells being around to guide us through a few more drafts. It would be crazy to imagine he does not pull the trigger on his "escape clause" and bolt to another team that will throw big bucks at him to right their ship. I have little faith in Coach or GM without Parcells so the party may be over before it got started.

I'm not sure where the "talented young team" concept comes from since most of the talented players have been in the league for many years now. The younger players have shown a glimmer of hope but none have overly impressed with the exception of Sean Smith. Vontae Davis looks like he is most effective on special teams which is a high price to pay for a first rounder. The other first rounder with the "awesome family" has not proven to be either a great receiver or kick returner (unless you count Madden 09).

Don't overlook the bonehead coaching decisions that have let these teams back into games that should have been over. Playing for field goals, untimely timeouts and squib kicks with minutes left in a game have all come back to haunt us.

Lets all pray that Parcells does not take a drive up the coast to one of the other Florida teams where he can have his Florida cake and payday too.

I agree with big O completely, the trifecta have done a good job in draft in two years. The Pat white pick stunned me and will be a waste of a pick as we all can see.
Pat turner and clemons need to play, we need to see what we have in them. BENCH WILSON PUT IN CULVER AND TAKE AWAY ALL OF TED GINN PLAYS! Just make him return kicks and punts.

You kind of said this, O, but I wanted to re-state it or state it more clearly.

The fact that, just two years after 1-15, we're even COMPETITIVE with the likes of the Colts and Saints is amazing, and a real testament to the people rebuilding the team.

As you said, the key is team. We have the right people in the front office, and they are going to keep having drafts and free agent signing periods where they hit more than miss. Give it another few years, and eventually the team is FULL of hits with little if any misses. Teams like that are the Colts, Steelers, Patriots...teams that have won consistently as of late.

You kind of said this, O, but I wanted to re-state it or state it more clearly.

The fact that, just two years after 1-15, we're even COMPETITIVE with the likes of the Colts and Saints is amazing, and a real testament to the people rebuilding the team.

As you said, the key is time. We have the right people in the front office, and they are going to keep having drafts and free agent signing periods where they hit more than miss. Give it another few years, and eventually the team is FULL of hits with little if any misses. Teams like that are the Colts, Steelers, Patriots...teams that have won consistently as of late.

O, you are right, the team is better (despite the 2-4 start) and overall the trifecta has done a good job but they need to be a little better in later rounds of the draft and much better in free agency. 4th rounder from last year S. Murphy is already gone. The Pat White pick is turning out to be a waste of a 2nd rounder. They could have filled a huge need (WR, TE, Safety or LB) with that pick and instead used it on a 3rd string QB. Also, Patrick Turner hasn't sniffed the field yet. I thought they did a much better job last offseason than this offseason. The decision to let Andre Goodman and to a lesser extent Reynaldo Hill both go not only was bad on the surface it also affected the way they drafted this year. IE if they would've kept Goodman maybe you only need to draft one CB instead of two in the first 2 rounds and use the other pick to fill another hole. While not great, Hill was a better player than Gibril Wilson and didn't he sign with Denver for less money than the Fins paid for Wilson? The Fins need one more really good draft and a couple of smart FA signings before they are ready to compete with the elite.

The Fins have a mediocre team that will not see the playoffs for a few years until they upgrade their defensive and offensive lines !

Are you kidding me??!! Upgrade the OL??!! Are you sure you have the right team? The offensive line for once is far from the problem. They are more than solid. The defensive line I admit though could use some more pressure from the Ends in passing situations but in a 3-4 that is not their primary role. Dude, find another hobby.

Listen Koolaid drinkers Orlando tells it the way it is. I infact agree with the guy. He sees what's goin on and analizes talent.
They have the running game goin and pretty good stopping the run.
The thing that gets me is Sparano when asked about picking up a receiver in free agency, said he was happy with what he had, really?
I think the loss of Martin has affected the team because he was a legit target. There's just been some bad decision making on personel. Two years and still they can't find a kick return guy? The coverage teams have improved but Bonemego is no westoff. Alot of needs to fill with ronnie brown possible not signing and ricky leaving soon after. Then you have the two dinosaurs Taylor and Porter to replace and both inside LB's. Oh well

I agree with everything in this article but would add inside linebacker to the mix. While Crowder is a very good tackler, he never seems to be in position to intercept or cause a fumble that could be a game changer. Of course the Phins have been very lucky at that position over the last couple of decades and Crowder has big shoes to fill.

Fukk the poster, and fukk all you dolphin-doubting |3ITCHES. You'll see who's elite. Win OR Lose, the Miami Dolphins are the greatest team in all SPORTS history. Anyone who disagrees can go suck an elephant's dikkPiece of shyt HATERS!

It is quite simple why they can't win. THEY SUCK!!!!!. Old guy at DE, a coach who has no business coaching Pop Warner let alone at the pro level, a washed up pothead at running back, a has been general manager, a worthless quarterback, no good players in the back field, need I go on?

I love the use of we in a lot of the posts. We my ass, you are not on the team!!! I think it would be better to say they, not we!! The DOLPHINS SUCK, WILL SUCK, ALWAYS HAVE SUCKED AND WILL CONTINUE TO SUCK!!!!! That about covers it squish the fish, and that is not hardto do.

Dead on, Orlando. We are being beat (including today by the Pats) by superior offensive talent. Last year we were able to maximize what we had and play very smart (and catch a few breaks). This year is what we really are -- improving, but not there yet.

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